Method of ripening sugar cane



' 1 tries, such'a's- Louisiana,

I or cold weathe'r,

Patented Feb. '4, 1230 DENIS r. J. BURGUIEREs, 'nbursa toursmna I METHOD 'ornrrnivms SUGAR, CANE. I

' No Drawing.

' present inventionrelates to an im proved method of increasing the sucrose con-.

tents of the stalks of. sugar cane, or as t is i commonly. called, ripening the cane. v I the canes are allowed tassel or reach maturity,

5 In tropical countries,

to grow until they r at which time the stalks contain a large percentage of sucrose, or are ripe. 7 Where cane is grown in' sub-tropical coun- TeXas, "Argentina, and Australia, the canes ripen at all, but are usually killed-before ma:- turity by frost,rand is prematurely afiected by the advent o'lf cool which affects theformatio'n of chlorophyl in the leaves of the growing I cane, and checks the in, or ripening the cane. a Where theweather continues warm, and

the warm spellis followed by a freeze,,the

'7 "cane does not r1pen at alhand remains green,

by which we mean possessing a relatively small sucrose content. y 7 v 25 -According to myinvention, I accomplish artificially the checking oi the growth ofthe stalks with theconsequent ripening ofthe cane bysupplying to thetops of thej stalks .a vfinely'divided material whichiattacks, but bud or thecane, and

does not destroy the which retards the formationj of chl'orophyl in the-leaves, and consequently checks the growth of the .eane This'arrested growth 7 resultsin the material increase in the sucrose contained in the Stalks after such treatment.

I have found suitable substances for this purpose 'mixtures containing lime, cai istic potash, common salt, weak solutionsof sulphuric or'hydrochloric acid solids in the finely dividedform or liquids or gases, which when properly applied, will check the growth-of the plants and ripen same, as described. i

vThese substancesimay be applied in the powdered form; as*with unslaked lime sprayed over thetops ofthe growing plants orin'ay be applied in the -form of liquid sprays, such as asaline solution or weak acid :solution. Y i

If appliedzin thesolid form in the shape the bud of mentof the spray to run down 1 frequently do not 7 the process 3 of ripening ifnot impossible,

rowth' of the stalks causing the increase of sucrose contentsthere-f V m'ent s with material the dew is still: on

and certain'otherpart of the'energ'y' Application filed Fbruaryli'itiBZS. Serial No. 254,170;

of a powder, the powder will sift down into tened dewor rain, and'affect the develop I I bud. If; the material isapplied inthe form, of a liquid spray,',the peculiar the-cane, and will become moisr;

tormation of the cane top" will cause this.

and arrest its growth.

Thefjmaterial maybe-applied i-n'tli'e pow 'e der or liquid form, preterabl-y by airplanes, since the time whenithistre'atment'is desirable is Wh n field becomes a'tangledmass and it is difficult,

with any suitabledevicefor spraying the. tops. of thefstalks. iW-hile one treatmentwithmaterial of a suff cient strength. may suffice, several treat- LFWhere' the material I powdered form; it would ..be preferable to 7 apply same" in comparatively *calm weather,

either in the evening before the dewgsettles on the plants,

'williserve. as afffsolvent for" thelpowder and I will enablethe retardingmaterial topromptly having lesser strength ntothe bud of the-cane;

the eaneis nearly ripe and the to get through 't on the land .5

nearly ready forthei'harvest,

stalks that are cut downand kept-for seed. "is 'dusted on in the or earlyin the morning, while i the plants, for this dew reach the bud of the cane where it get in its work.- 7

"Where the materialjis applied in the form" of'liqui d sprays,-it wouldbe preferable to spray the, same over the tops of the plants 1 before the: dew

in the calm of the evening; fallsQ Obviously onlyv a small quantity of the'aceve; 'inaterial planttomaterially check the growth of, but not kill the 'plant.

need reach the bud of each This checked growth, as i 'beforestated, will cause nature to devote formerly expended in the development of the leaves in the production of sucrose in the stalks.

While I have described Various substances, which may be used in the powdered or liquid form, I prefer powdered lime in the slaked or unslaked condition, because of its cheap: ness and of the facility with which it may be applied, and moreover, because the larger proportion of the lime is scattered over the 10 soil and does not reach the bud, which will have a beneficial 'eifectupon the soil, serving not only to ripen the cane, but also to improve the soil.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is j 7 1. The method of ripening sugar cane, which consists in treating the tops of'th'e still growing plants with a finely divided substance that will artificially arrest the growth thereof. 2. The method of ripening sugar cane, which consists in treating the tops of the still growing plants with a finely divided substance that will retard the formation of chlorophyl of the leaves and artificially check the growth of the plant. v V

3. The method of ripening sugarcane, which consists in treating the tops of the still growing plants with smallquantities of a finely divided alkaline substance thereby artificially checking the growth thereof.

4. The method of ripening sugar cane, which consists in treating the tops of the still as growing plants with small quantities of finely divided lime, thereby artificially checking the growththereof.

5. The method of ripening sugar cane, which consists in spraying over the tops of 40 the still growing plants finely divided unslaked lime, thereby artificially checking the growth thereof. s

6. The method of ripening sugar cane, which consists in spraying over the tops of p the still growing plants a finely divided solid substance that will artificially arrest the growth thereof. 7 f 7. The 'method of ripening sugar cane, which consists in sprayin over the tops of the v 5 still growing plants a finely divided solid substance that will retard the formation of chlorophyl of the leaves and artificially check 7 the growth of the plant. 8. The method of ripening sugar cane, which consists in spraying over the tops of the still growing plants small quantities of a finely divided solid alkaline substance thereby artificially checking the growth thereof; 9. The method of ripening sugar cane, which consists in spraying over the tops of the still growing plants with small quantitiesv of a finely divided solid substance containing lime, thereby artificially checking the growth thereof.

6; v DENIS P. J. BUR U ERES. 

